I've
continued to read press reports of progress towards the launch of
Edinburgh's new trams. I've cut out the press reports in the hope of
summarising them for the EdinPhoto web site - if I ever catch up with my
backlog of other work for the site!

Progress
seems to have gone better over the past year, and in late-2013 a planned
launch date of 'May 2014' was announced for the trams.

May 2014

149.

May
14

Launch Date announced
- May 31, 2014

26.

Update: January 2006

Recommendations

Edinburgh Council announced on 19 January 06:

- Tomorrow, 20 January 06, the council will
issue a report on the proposed tram lines, to be discussed at a full
council meeting on 26 January 06.

- This report will state that, due to costs
having risen from £473m to £714m, the
council is no longer able to afford the the whole of Lines 1 and 2 at this
stage, and it therefore recommends that the following should be
shelved:

- the western and northern parts of
Line 1, running from Leith via Granton to join Line 2 near
Haymarket.

- the eastern end of Line 2, linking
Edinburgh Airport and Newbridge.

Phase 1

This leaves just a single line, to be known as
Phase 1, from Ocean Terminal, Leith to Edinburgh Airport, to go ahead in
2010.

The western part of Line 2, linking Princes
Street and Granton, through Edinburgh Waterfront, is to be known as Phase
2. This will be shelved unless the project can be delivered under
budget. The promoters still say that delivery under budget is
possible.

Please click on the picture below to see the land
that has already been prepared for Line 1, beside Waterfront Avenue to the
south-west of Granton Harbour.

The northern part of Line 2 linking Granton,
Newhaven and Leith is to be known as Phase 3.

Phase 4

The western end of Line 1, linking Edinburgh
Airport and Newbridge is to be known as Phase 4.

Edinburgh Evening News
January 19, 2006, pp.1,4

27.

Update: January 2006

Costs

The cost
of the line for Phase 1, from Ocean Terminal to Edinburgh Airport is
estimated to be £484m.

The
funding expected from the Scottish Executive, if the tram bill is
passed in the Scottish Parliament, around March 2006, is expected to be
£490m.

In
addition, Edinburgh Council has raised £45m, mainly from taxes on land
close to the proposed lines. This gives a total of £529m and leaves
a surplus of £51m to be put towards Phase 2, the line linking Haymarket
and Granton.

Political Comments

Labour: "It is more important to have a 'core'
tram route in place as soon as possible" Donald
Anderson, Council Leader, supporting of the proposals

"We will complete all the lines in a phased
manner."Andrew Burns, Transport Leader.

Green Party: "If the council cannot
provide public transport to get people out of their cars, then the future
of the redevelopment of Granton will be undermined."Mark Ballard, Lothian Green MSP

Liberal Democrat: "Edinburgh has talked for
too long about a real effective mass transit link from the western suburbs
of Edinburgh and on to Leith. The council must act now or be
condemned for inaction by future generations" Phil Wheeler, Liberal Democrat transport
spokesman.

SNP: "Trams were removed from Edinburgh for a
very good reason and the plans should be scrapped now.Steve Cardownie, SNP Councillor

Edinburgh Evening News
January 20, 2006, pp.8,9

28.

Update: February 2006

£500,000 for Badger Protection

Figures for the cost of protecting badgers on the
new tram routes have been released to the Evening News under the Freedom
of Information Act.

It is estimated that to protect badgers
from the trams, by creating a series of "safe runs" using bridges, tunnels
and fencing, could cost £540,000.

These costs include:

- £320,000 for 11km of fencing.

- £40,000 for a network of tunnels for the
badgers.

- £20,000 for re-housing the badgers while
the line is being built.

- £85,000 for wildlife experts who will
monitor the workers and the badgers!

Badgers are a legally protected species. It
is estimated that about 35 badgers live close to the proposed track
- four families near Edinburgh Airport and two families in the
Roseburn Urban Wildlife Corridor on the route between Haymarket and
Granton.

Edinburgh Evening News
February 2, 2006, p.5

29.

Update: February 2006

Scottish Parliament Debate

Members
of the Scottish Parliament's Edinburgh Trams (Line One) Committee
are due to question Edinburgh Council leader, Donald Anderson, and TIE
leader, Michael Howell, tomorrow.

Edinburgh Council announced on January 19 that Phase 1 of the system would
provide only one line, from Leith to Edinburgh Waterfront. However,
MSPs are likely to demand that the trams serve the Waterfront population
which includes areas near Newhaven and Granton.

The article comments that Edinburgh Waterfront's
population is going to be the equivalent of the population of Perth,
Scotland.

Edinburgh Evening News
February 6, 2006, p.17

30.

Update: February 2006

Tendering for Trams

TIE have selected four companies from 11 who
applied to tender for the design and supply of trams to Edinburgh.
The final choice is expected to be made during 2006.

The four
companies currently bidding are:

- from Germany: Bombardier and
Siemens

- from France: Alstom

- from Spain: CAF

Edinburgh will require the trams to accommodate at least 200 passengers,
have low level boarding, CCTV cameras, real time information
displays and public address systems.

Edinburgh Evening News
February 28, 2006, p.7

31.

Update: March 2006

Parliamentary Committee approve Trams

After
two years' consideration, and listening to many objections, Members
of the Scottish Parliament's Edinburgh Trams (Line One) Committee
have now approved the route proposed by Edinburgh Council.

The line
will use the Roseburn corridor, rather than pass directly past the Western
General Hospital. A shuttle bus service will be provided to from the
tram route to the hospital.

The
Parliamentary Committee expressed disappointment that funding problems had
resulted in shelving part of the proposed route and said that it was
"essential" for the section from Haymarket to Granton (coloured yellow on
the map below) to be built as soon as possible.

The
committee ruled that construction work should not take place on Saturday
afternoons in order to lessen disruption to shoppers and traders.
The trams are now scheduled to be operational by July 2010, but might the
shorter hours for construction result in further delays?

Please click on the map below to enlarge it.

All MSPs
will vote on the Bills for the two tram lines later in March 2006.
They will be recommended by their Parliamentary Committees to vote in
favour of the routes proposed by Edinburgh Council, even though it will
not be possible to build these routes in their entirety, initially.

Edinburgh Evening News
March 1, 2006, p.2

32

Update: March 2006

Parliamentary Vote

The
Scottish Parliament debated Tramline 2, the line to Edinburgh Airport, on
March 22..

David
Letchie, former Tory Leader and Kenny MacAskill, Scottish National
MSP questioned the business case for the line, but Sarah Boyack, Central
Edinburgh MSP and former Transport Minister spoke out strongly in favour
of the line.

MSPs
voted 88 to 20 in favour of the Bill for the tramline to go ahead.

They are
due to debate Tramline 1 next week, on March 29, 2006.

Edinburgh Evening News
March 23 2006, p.8

33.

Update: March 2006

Funding and Delay

After
studying a detailed audit of all the Scottish Executive's major transport
commitments, Tavish Scott, Transport Minister in the Scottish Parliament
has confirmed the parliament's support for these projects.

He
confirmed that the Scottish Parliament had agreed that funding for the trams will be increased to take account of
inflation, so increasing the Scottish
Executive's contribution from £375m to £450-500m for the tram line from
Edinburgh Airport to Ocean Terminal. (I thought the funding would have
been for the line from Edinburgh Airport to Newhaven.)

However,
he now estimates that the new tram system will not be operational until
early 2011. The previous estimate was July 2010.

TIE say
that by Autumn 2006 between £50m and £60m will have been spent on the
Tramline proposals, including £23.5m on consultant fees.

Despite
the Scottish Parliament having given their approval, concern over costs
continues to be expressed in the columns of the Edinburgh Evening News.
Yellow ribbons have been tied to trees in the Roseburn Corridor as a mark
of protest.

Timetable

The
timetable, now, at March 2006 is:

May 2006

Parliamentary
Bills to be passed.

Summer 2006

Tenders for
construction of the tramlines.

Summer 2006

Traffic
Management Plan to be drawn up.

Sept 2006

Councillors
consider the final business case and decide whether to go ahead.

Autumn 2006

Business Case
presented to Scottish Executive.

Dec 2006/Jan
2007

Gas pipes and
water mains to be moved.

Autumn 2007

Laying of
tram lines begins.

Early 2010

Testing of
trams on the network

1 July 2010

First day of
operation

2015

Further
phases of network completed.

Edinburgh Evening News
March 30, 2006, pp.6-7

35.

Update: May 2006

Trams Boss leaves

It was
announced on May 9 that Ian Kendall, Head of the Edinburgh Trams project,
has had his contract terminated amid fears that there may be further
delays in the scheme and that TIE may miss the Autumn 2006 deadline for
presenting a business case to the Ministers of the Scottish Parliament.

Ian
Kendall is an Australian who has managed previous team bids including
Manchester, Leeds and the London borough of Croydon. He was never
formerly employed by TIE but had a contract with TIE in the name of his
own management company.

TIE
Chief Executive, Michael Howell has now taken temporary control of the
project. He claims that the project is still on schedule to meet the
2010 deadline for operation.

Edinburgh Evening News
May, 2006

Ian Kendall has been replaced by Andie Harper, a
former director of London Underground who saw the completion of the London
Underground's Jubilee Line.

However, Ian Kendall is also being retained by
TIE as a private consultant for at least the next 3 to 6 months.

Edinburgh Evening News
May 25, 2006: p.9

Edinburgh Evening News
June 14, 2006, pp.1-2

36.

Update: June 2006

Chairman leaves

A second
high profile departure from TIE has been announced.

Michael
Howard, Chief Executive of TIE is to leave in July 2006 and to move to
London to become Chairman of the City & Guilds of London Institute.

Willie
Gallagher, who was appointed TIE Chairman in early June 06, is to take on
most of Michael Howard's duties.

The TIE
project has continued to have problems, missed deadlines and technical
design problems, but Michael Howell claims: "Things are in good shape."

Edinburgh Evening News June
14, 2006, pp.1-2

Two
further departures from TIE have been announced. Project Director, Alex Macauley, is expected to
leave and Assistant Project Director, Willie Fraser has resigned for
personal reasons.

However,
Edinburgh Council leader, Donald Anderson, remained optimistic saying:

"I am very confident TIE and the council are in a much better position to
deliver the project than ever before."

Edinburgh Evening News
June 16, 2006, p.6

New Chairman's Comments

Shortly after taking up his appointment as TIE
Chairman, Willie Gallagher spoke to the Edinburgh Evening News:

Here are some extracts from Willie Gallagher
comments to the News:

- TIMESCALE: "We will make that deadline
(June 2010). There's a lot of key events to hit in the next few
months"

- ROUTE CUTBACKS: "What we have now is a
sensible route, the characteristics of which support the wider rail
transport network. It operates where you have high volumes of people
wanting to move to parts of the city to work or visit."

- POSSIBLE FURTHER ROUTE CUTS: "At
this point we are going with the route that everyone is aware of. If
there are parts of the system where the costs don't recognise the
benefits, then that would have to be looked at.

Truthfully, I don't see the Airport to
Newbridge section happening. We are gung ho about all the rest and
are pushing hard."

Will we ever build a Newbridge link or a link
between Granton and Leith? I think, no because if we had the money
to do it, then there are other bits - such as the Western General Hospital
link that we would do first."

Edinburgh Evening News
June 23, 2006: pp18-19

37.

Update: September 2006

Construction Delays

Work to
remove gas pipes and water mains along the routes of the trams was
expected to begin in January 2006 but has now been put back until at least
March or April 2007, due to delays in drawing up contracts.

There is
concern that the work may be delayed until after the Local Council
Elections in May 2007. Digging up roads would be likely to result in
disruption and congestion, which would be unpopular with voters.

TIE
confirmed that the first trams are now expected to carry passengers in
2011, with the first trams being tested from early 2010 onwards.

TIE has
launched a £100,000 advertising campaign to "win the hearts and minds"
of the Edinburgh public. There will be advertising in newspapers, on
the radio and on buses and bus shelters with the message:

"It's Time For Trams."

Edinburgh Evening News: Sep 29, 2006, p5

39.

Update: November 2006

Business Case

Edinburgh Transport Forum is to host a public meeting on trams on November
29, 2006.

A
business case is being developed for the trams, to be voted on by the City
of Edinburgh Council on December 22, 2006, then submitted to the Scottish
Parliament for approval of funding.

By
Christmas 2006, it is expected that £62m will already have been spent on
the proposals for Tram Lines One and Two.

The
design detail for the project will not become available until January 2007
at the earliest.

Edinburgh Evening News
November 28, 2006, p12

40.

Update: November 2006

Project Director leaves

After
only six months in his position as Project Director, Andie Harper,
formerly of London Underground, has decided not to renew his contract with
TIE, for personal reasons - difficulty in commuting between Warrington and
Edinburgh

He will be the 4th senior person to have left the
project this year.

- May 9, 2006: Ian
Kendall, Project chief.

- Jun, 2006:
Michael Howell, Chief Executive.

- Dec 22, 2006: Andie Harper, Project
chief.

Edinburgh Evening News
November 29, 2006, p5

41.

Update: December 2006

Tram Line 3 - Guided Busway

Tram
Line 3, from the City Centre to Newcraighall, via Cameron Toll and the
Edinburgh Royal Infirmary at Little France was shelved indefinitely when
the Council's proposals for congestion charges were defeated in the
referendum of April 2005.

However,
the Council has now announced a feasibility study into a guided busway
along the land already safeguarded for Tramline 3 between Cameron Toll and
the ERI. This could be the first step towards the council long-term
wish to create Tram Line 3.

The
feasibility study is not likely to be completed before 2008.

Edinburgh Evening News
November 29, 2006, p5

42.

Update: December 2006

Charities support Tram Lines

Eleven
charities and conservation organisations have now come out in support of
trams for Edinburgh, and are encouraging Edinburgh Councillors to vote in
favour of the proposals on December 21, 2006

They
favour trams on the grounds that they will be less polluting and better
for the environment than buses.

The organisations concerned are:

- Capability Scotland

- The Cockburn Association

- Friends of the Earth Scotland

- National Trust for Scotland

- RSPB, Scotland

- Scottish Association for Public Transport

- Scottish Environment LINK

- Stop Climate Chaos

- TRANSform Scotland

- Voluntary Health Scotland

- WWF Scotland

Edinburgh Evening News
December 16, 2006, p2

43.

Update: December 2006

Compensation to Shops

Following lengthy negotiations between TIE and the Edinburgh Chamber of
Commerce, it has been announced that shops that see their profits fall as
a result of disruption caused by preparations for Edinburgh's trams, will
be given cuts of up to 80% in their business rates.

Edinburgh Evening News
December 20, 2006, p19.

44.

Update: December 2006

Businesses support Tram Lines

Seventeen organisations including some of Scotland's largest businesses
have signed a letter to be sent to all councillors, urging them to back
the proposals for new tram lines at their meeting on December 21, 2006.

The organisations include:

- Standard Life

- Scottish Widows

- Marks & Spencer

- Oracle

- Edinburgh Airport

- Forth Ports Authority

- Edinburgh International Conference Centre

- Edinburgh University

- Heriot Watt University

- Telford College

It is expected that:

- Tram Line 1, from Leith to Edinburgh
Airport will open in December 2020

- Tram Line 2 to Edinburgh Waterfront will
open one year later.

Edinburgh Evening News
December 19, 2006, p17

45.

Update: December 2006

Council Votes 'Yes'

Edinburgh Councillors at their Meeting on December 21 overwhelmingly
supported the business case to be submitted to the Scottish
Parliament in favour of re-introducing trams to Edinburgh.

Matthew Crosse has been appointed to take charge
of the Edinburgh trams project, replacing Andrew Harper who left in 2006.

Matthew Cross is founder of independent
management consultancy 'Strategic Lines' based in Derbyshire, and has
worked on several tram schemes in the UK including Nottingham, Croydon and
Midland Metro.

Edinburgh Evening News January 16, 2007: p.9

47.

Update: March 2007

Draft Business Case Approved

The Scottish Executive has its given its approval
in principle to the draft business plan for Edinburgh's trams. A
final business case will be assessed in the autumn

It has also been confirmed that those over age 60
and the disabled will be able to travel free on the trams.

Work to Begin

Work will to begin on diverting the water, gas
and electricity pipes away from the proposed tram route. The first
street to be dug up, as a trial site, will be Tower Place, Leith,
beginning on April 2, 2007. Work on this section of the line will
stop over the Easter holidays and should be completed by mid-May 2007.

City Leader, Ewen Aitken said:

"We've been talking about and preparing for
trams for years. But now is the time to make it a reality and
actually start work on the ground.

I promised that we wouldn't let the small
matter of an election get in the way of this important project and we've
delivered on that."

It is estimated that the tram line between Leith
and Edinburgh Airport will be completed by Christmas 2010.

Local and Scottish Parliament elections are due
to be held on May 3, 2007.

Ahead of these elections, Mike Graham of radio
station 'Talk 107' hosted a pre-election debate before an
all-ticket audience of 250.

The 'Evening News' reported that transport
issues were high on the agenda.

Labour, Lib Dem, Tory and Green
politicians all spoke in favour of the trams; SNP's Steve Cardownie was a
lone voice in opposition. However, in the audience, less than
a third of those present supported the proposed tram scheme.

Edinburgh Evening News April 18, 2007: pp.10-11

49.

Update: April 2007

Tunnel Problems

The 'Evening News' reported that the
extent of the network of tunnels beneath the roads between Leith and
Haymarket has taken engineers by surprise.

These tunnels about 3 ft wide, 6 ft high, were
built to enable mechanics to service the cables that hauled cable cars
through the streets of Edinburgh. Cable cars operated in Edinburgh
between 1888 and 1923.in the early 1900s.

Edinburgh Evening News April 19, 2007: p.9

50.

Update: May 2007

Scottish Parliament Elections

The
Scottish National Party emerged as the leading party with 47 seats, but
not an overall majority in the Scottish Parliament elections held on May
3, 2007.

The
number of MSP (Members of the Scottish Parliament elected at this election
and at the first Scottish Parliament election held in 2003 was:

2007

2003

Scottish Conservative & Unionist Party

17

18

Scottish Green
Party

2

7

Scottish Labour

46

50

Scottish Liberal
Democrats

16

17

Scottish National
Party

47

27

Scottish Socialist
Party

0

6

Independents and
other parties

1

4

TOTAL

129

129

SNP oppose the Trams Proposals

Scottish National Party MSP, Kenny MacAskill,
said, on May 9:

"Our opposition to the trams is absolute.
... We are determined that trams go because, locally, they are not
wanted and, nationally, we world rather the money is spent on other
schemes."

He claimed that if the SNP takes control of Holyrood, they would simply
stop the funding both for Edinburgh's trams and the proposed rail link to
Edinburgh Airport, and would use the saving of £1.1bn for other transport
improvements across Scotland.

Politicians from the Labour, Lib Dem, Tory parties and the Chamber of
Commerce were all quoted in the Evening News expressing their opposition
to the SNP's stance.

Edinburgh Evening News May 9, 2007: pp.1,7

51.

Edinburgh City Council Elections

The
number of councillors in Edinburgh City Council, following the elections
held on May 3, 2007 is now:

2007

previously

Scottish Conservative & Unionist Party

11

13

Scottish Green
Party

3

0

Scottish Labour

15

30

Scottish Liberal
Democrats

17

14

Scottish National
Party

12

1

TOTAL

58

58

Edinburgh Council will continue to
support Trams Proposals

Twenty three years of Labour power in Edinburgh
ended today when it was announced that:

- the SNP and Liberal Democrats have formed a
coalition to run Edinburgh City Council. (Together they hold 29 of
Edinburgh's 58 seats.)

- the Tories have pledged not to oppose the
election of a Lib Dem Lord Provost next week. (The Lord Provost
holds the casting vote.)

The
Liberal Democrats say that, despite the SNP view on trams, they (the
Liberal Democrats) will continue to support Edinburgh's tram proposals.

Schemes
more likely to hit problems under the new regime are proposals to sell off
the Meadowbank Sports Centre and granting of approval of the proposed
Caltongate development in Waverley valley.

Edinburgh Evening
News May 11, 2007: pp.1,8,9.

52.

Update: May 2007

Work Interrupted

The £60m
roadworks to divert utility cables and pipes from under the route of the
trams began before Easter. It stopped, as planned, during the Easter
holiday period, but is now not expected to begin again until July 2007.

However,
a spokesman for TIE claimed that the work is still on schedule and pointed
out that off-street work, including construction of the new tram depot at
Gogar is continuing.

Meanwhile, politicians in other parties are considering the approach
likely to be taken by the Scottish Parliament as First Minister, SNP
Leader, Alex Salmond continues to oppose trams for Edinburgh.

Edinburgh Evening
News May 25, 2007, p.9

53.

Update: May 2007

Pressure on SNP to Support Trams

Business
leaders, MSPs from all opposition parties, and City of Edinburgh
councillors all made appeals to SNP leader, Alex Salmond, today, to change
his mind and support Edinburgh's proposals for trams.

Labour,
Liberal Democrat and Tory parties joined forces to force an amendment in
the Scottish Parliament, demanding that the trams project "should not
be arbitrarily delayed or cancelled" but this did not have the desired
effect. The SNP accepted the amendment, claiming that any delay or
cancellation would not be arbitrary!

A survey
by Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce, which represents 1,700 companies in
Edinburgh found that 75% of the businesses are still in favour of
trams for Edinburgh.

Charles
Hammond, Chief Executive of Forth Ports Authority said:

"Economically, socially and
environmentally, the tram is absolutely pivotal to the regeneration
of North Edinburgh"

Other
business leaders spoke in favour of the trams. Some of Edinburgh's
major businesses have come together to place adverts in The Scotsman
and The Evening News, setting out the arguments in favour of trams.

Edinburgh Evening News
May 30, 2007, p.13 (survey)

Edinburgh Evening News
May 31, 2007, pp.6-7 (other news)

54.

Update: June 2007

SNP Suggest Alternatives to Trams

Alex
Salmond, First Minister and SNP Leader has promised that a full review of
Edinburgh's tram scheme is to be presented to Parliament. The review
is to be carried out by Audit Scotland, who will review the process used
to assess costs and risks of the project. The review is due to be
completed by June 20, 2007.

Expressing the views of the SNP, he said he
favoured:

- guided bus lanes on much of the tram
route

- initiatives to use hybrid fuels

- improved ticketing

- installation of real-time information on
all bus stops

- better park-and-ride sites.

A guided
but route to Edinburgh Airport was planned in the 1990s, but abandoned in
2001.

Independent Lothians MSP, Margo MacDonald says she will consider tabling a
motion of no-confidence in Mr Salmond if he ignores the will of parliament
over trams.

Edinburgh Evening News, June 6 2007,
p.2 (The Review)

Edinburgh Evening News,
June 1, 2007, p.2 (other topics)

55.

Update: June 2007

Building Work Continues

Despite
the SNP's declared intention to scrap two major transport systems for
Edinburgh - the trams and the rail link to Edinburgh Airport
- building work for the to create a new £3m tram depot to the north
of Gogar roundabout is continuing.

TIE say
that £79m has already been spent on the trams project, and the total cost
would b e £114m if it were abandoned.

The Scotsman, June 4, 2007: pp1,4,5

56.

Update: June 2007

Edinburgh Councillors' Views

Following the elections held in May 2007, power in Edinburgh's Council
rests with the SNP / Liberal Democrats coalition.

Jenny
Dawe is the leader of the Liberal Democrats on the council, and also
council leader. The Liberal Democrats are in favour of trams for
Edinburgh.

Steve
Cardownie is the leader of the SNP on the council, also deputy council
leader. The SNP are opposed to trams for Edinburgh. Steve
Cardonie suggests that there should be a referendum on the subject.

The SNP
and Liberal Democrats know each other's views on trams. They say
that they have not found the need to discuss the subject since their
coalition on the council was formed in May 2007.

The Scotsman, June 4, 2007: pp1,4,5

57.

Update: June 2007

Audit Report

"The Scheme is Sound"

The headline in Edinburgh Evening News on
June 20, 2007, referring to Edinburgh's tram proposals read:

"Get on with it!"

The
paper announced that the report by Audit Scotland to the Scottish
Parliament, had been published today and had concluded:

- Edinburgh's trams are likely to arrive on
time, early 2011, and on budget.

The SNP
have declared that they will continue to oppose both the trams and the
rail link. However, opposition parties have all declared their
support for the trams, so if the opposition parties unite at next week's
vote in the Scottish Parliament they are likely to defeat the SNP and so
allow the trams to go ahead.

Edinburgh Evening News, June 20, 2007:
pp.1,5

58.

Update: June 2007

Business and Educational Support

Two days
ahead of the vote in the Scottish Parliament, leading Edinburgh businesses
and educational institutions have declared their support for the trams.

Those
declaring their support include:

- Edinburgh University

- Telford College

- Standard Life

- Edinburgh Principal Hotel Association

- Harvey Nichols.

Others have declined to comment. Notably:

- Royal Bank of Scotland

- Bank of Scotland

Edinburgh Evening News, June 25, 2007:
page 7

59.

Update: June 2007

'Yes Vote' in Scottish Parliament

MSPs
voted in favour of pressing ahead with Edinburgh's trams, voting in favour
of the scheme, 81 votes to 47.

Following this vote, the Scottish Executive declared that they would
support the scheme, but they would not foot the bill for any extra cash,
should it be needed.

Metro, June 28, 2007: page 9

60.

Update: July 2007

Engineering Work to Begin

Engineering work, diverting electricity, gas and water supplies before the
tram tracks are laid, will begin at Ocean Drive, Leith Docks, next week.

Metro, July 2, 2007: p.10

Proposed Work

Willie Gallagher, Chairman of TIE has announced
that in preparation for the trams:

- Engineering work will begin in
Leith Walk on August 6, 2007.

- Engineering work will begin in
Princes Street in October, 2007.

- Pavements on Princes Street are to
be narrowed.

- Leith Walk will be reduced to one lane of
traffic each way with the trams running down the middle of the street.

- Many of the parking spaces along
the route will be removed.

- The Sherlock Holmes statue in
Picardy Place is to be moved.

Edinburgh Evening News, July 24, 2007:
pp.1,6,7

Timetable

Today,
TIE announces a full timetable for work over the next 18 months.

The
preferred bidders for the vehicles and line building are due to be
announced in September 2007.

Edinburgh Evening News, July 24, 2007:
pp.6-7

61.

Update: July 2007

Station Names

Transport Edinburgh Ltd (the firm that will operate the city's trams and
buses) has revealed a new map of the route, with station names. Some
of the stations have been re-named:

Old name

New name

Ocean Drive

Port of Leith

South Gyle

Balgreen

Granton Waterfront

Saltire Square

Granton Square

Granton

West Granton

West Pilton

Edinburgh Evening News, July 24, 2007:
pp.6-7

62.

Update: July 2007

A Strong Case for Line 3

Willie
Gallagher, TIE Chairman said that the case for Line 3, a line to the New
Edinburgh Royal Infirmary and possibly on to Portobello and Musselburgh,
was still strong and that city leaders should start planning for this now.

Edinburgh Evening News, July 24, 2007:
pp.6-7

63.

Update: July 2007

Street Closures for Cars

It is proposed that, in order to accommodate the
trams:

- Shandwick Place will be open only
to trams, buses and taxis.

- Constitution Street, Leith, will be
open only to trams.

TIE will release a final design of the tram route
in August 2007.

Edinburgh Evening News, July 24, 2007:
pp.6-7

64.

Update: July 2007

Ticket Machines

Ticket
machines are now being installed on the pavements at selected points
mainly in the city centre. More will be installed early 2008.

The
machines can be used from mid-August 2007 onwards to buy tickets for buses
but will be adapted when the trams arrive to sell both bus and tram
tickets. There will be no facilities to buy tickets on board the
trams.

Both
trams and buses are likely to be branded under the same name and to be in
the same colours.

Edinburgh Evening News, July 24, 2007:
pp.6-7

65.

Update: August 2007

More Utility Pipes Found

Workers
have dug trial holes before preparing to move the utility pipes from under
Leith Walk. Despite a four-month scanning and mapping survey having
been carried out in 2006, the workers have found three times the number of
pipes that they expected.

TIE say
that they had been prepared for this discovery and that it will not delay
the introduction of trams ot Edinburgh.

Schedule of Work

The schedule for work on re-routing the cables
is:

- August / September '07: Leith Walk

- October '07: Princes Street

- November '07: Haymarket

- December '07: Edinburgh Park

Edinburgh Evening News, August 27, 2007:
p.4

Edinburgh Evening News, August 30, 2007:
p.17

66.

Update: September 2007

Edinburgh's Trams

The
first images of how Edinburgh's trams will look were released today.
The proposed livery matches the new livery for Lothian Buses - a red
and yellow harlequin pattern on white:

There will be 27 trams, each able to carry 250
passengers at up to 49mph. They are to be built by the Spanish firm,
CAF - the company that supplied the trains for the London Heathrow
Express.

Tickets and Inspectors

Passengers will buy tickets from roadside machines before boarding the
tram, or pay a penalty fare on board.

There
will be inspectors on all tram journeys, to act as a point of contact for
passengers and to check tickets,

There will be remote controlled partitions to
close off parts of the trams at quieter times.

Edinburgh Evening News, September 20, 2007:
pp.1, 7

67.

Updates: October 2007

Business Case

The new Business Case for Edinburgh's trams has
been prepared. It estimates that the trams will be delivered on time
with the service operating from February 25, 2011.

The total cost is estimated to be £498m
- £47m less than the £545m available (£500m from the Scottish
Government and £45m from Edinburgh Council).

This raises hopes that it will be possible to
also build phase 1b, from Haymarket to Granton by the end of 2012. A
decision on phase 1b will be made in 2009.

The business case estimates that the cost of
building phases 1a and 1b will be £585m, down £7m from the previous
official estimate. It is expected that 11m passengers will use the
trams in their first year.

Edinburgh Evening News, October 18, 2007:
p.5

Tram Routes

The best way to accommodate trams cars and cycles
in Leith Walk is still under discussion. It is proposed that trams
will run down the centre of the street and that the roundabout at the top
of Leith Walk will be replaced by a T-junction. It is also proposed
that:

- The pavement on the south side of Princes
Street will be narrowed.

- Shandwick Place will be only open to
trams and buses

- Constitution Street, Leith, will be
partially closed

- Torphichen Street will be re-opened to
traffic in both directions

Final
designs for the tram route are due to be published, early 2008.

Edinburgh Evening News, October 19, 2007:
p.6

68.

Updates: November 2007

Leith Walk Clock

The clock that stands in the roundabout at the
junction of Leith Walk and London Road was removed this week to enable the
roundabout to be converted to a 'T-junction' to make way for the new tram
route.

The clock has been put into storage and will be
replaced somewhere in the area, its exact position not yet decided, once
the tram line is complete.

The 1857*
clock was previously located at the West End of Princes Street, beside
what is now Fraser's store, but it has been in its present position for
the past 40 years.

*
A later article in the Evening News(Dec 15, 2007: p3)
gives a date of 1897 for the clock.

It may become necessary to move the large statues
of George IV and William Pitt from the centre of George Street, in order
to allow buses and other traffic, diverted from Princes Street, to
flow more smoothly along George Street.

The statues have been in their present positions
since 1922 and 1833 respectively.

Edinburgh Evening News, January 9, 2008:
pp.1,11.

UPDATE: The diversions are now in
place. It was not necessary to move the statues.

72.

Updates: March 2008

Fixed Price for Line 1b to Granton

TIE has secured a fixed price of £87m to build
tram line 1b, between Roseburn and Granton, provided it can commit to the
project by Spring 2009.

If TIE do not take up this option, it will have
to pay a penalty fee of £3.2m.

TIE has put a project team together to consider
the funding of this line, and hopes that the line will be open by the end
of 2012.

Edinburgh Evening News, March 13, 2008:
p.5..

UPDATE:Funding
of line 1b has been dependent of TIE's £96m contingency fund remaining
available. However, the Evening News reported on April 22, 2008,
that the strength of the euro against the pound had resulted in a £30m
loss for the project, that would have to be met from the contingency fund.

73.

Updates: March 2008

Caledonian Ale House - demolition

Caledonian Ale House at Haymarket, built in 1862
and known as the Haymarket Station Bar until 1995, was compulsory
purchased two years ago. It is to be demolished next month to make way for
the new tram line.

Edinburgh Evening News, March 15, 2008:
p.9.

74.

Updates: August 2008

Bus Subsidy for Trams?

A confidential report has been leaked to the
Evening News, revealing that one way being considered to provide the
additional £55m needed to build line 1b from Roseburn to Granton is
subsidy from Lothian Buses.

Senior councillors have opposed this idea, and
Lothian Buses chief executive, Neil Renilson, has said"I can
categorically confirm that [we have] no plans to increase bus fares to
generate funds for the construction of the tram."

An Edinburgh council spokesman has confirmed that
selling the council's shareholding in Lothian Buses is not an option, but
has refused to rule out a "fare levy" to help to meet the cost of the
trams project.

Edinburgh Evening News, August 25, 2008:
pp.1,5

UPDATE: The Evening News announced
on March 20, 2009, that from 2011 onwards, Lothian Buses (which would then
become part of Transport Edinburgh Ltd) would have to hand over £5m
pa to offset losses on the tram line in its first few years of operation.

75.

Updates: September 2008

Leith Walk

The first tram tracks are due to be laid in Leith
Walk in January 2009. The pavements are to be made narrower, to give
a wider road with tram tracks running up the middle of the road.

TIE said: "We hope this phase of the project
will be better received by people because they will actually see something
being built."

This follows months of problems for businesses in
Leith Walk and Constitution Street, who have seen falls in trade as a
result of the tram works and have been compensated with up to £4,000 each
and a 20% reduction in rateable values for most shops. Around
two-thirds of TIE's £2m allocated to paying compensation has already been
handed out.

The first length of track is now expected to be
laid in Princes Street in April, rather than in Leith Walk in January.
A TIE spokesman said that its resources had been allocated to other parts
of the route following a negotiated works embargo on Leith Walk over the
festive period.

TIE insisted that their work was still on schedule and that they intended
to have a full tram service running by July 2011.

Evening News: January 210, 2009

UPDATE 2:

Leith Walk - Autumn 2009

Phil
Wheeler announced, in early March 2009, that tracks would not now be laid
in Leith Walk until early-Autumn, 2009.

Evening News:

when?

76.

Updates: October 2008

Princes Street - closed

Traffic in the centre of Edinburgh ground to a
halt for up to an hour on the first day that Princes Street was closed to
traffic between Hanover Street and Frederick Street..

Following crisis talks between the council,
Lothian Buses and TIE, buses are to be allowed back onto Princes Street
westbound and possibly also eastbound from today, until a working solution
can be found.

Edinburgh Evening News, October 2, 2008:
p.4.

UPDATE:

Another
attempt will be made, with effect from Sunday October 5, to close the
section of Princes Street between Hanover Street and Frederick Street.
Traffic light sequences have been changed and it is hoped that traffic
will flow more smoothly this time.

77.

Updates: October 2008

Trams to Gorebridge?

TIE have proposed that the northern section of
the proposed Borders Rail link should be operated by trams rather than
trains.

Edinburgh Evening News, October 2, 2008:
p.4.

78.

Updates: November 2008

Tram Boss departs

Willie Gallagher, who was appointed executive
chairman of TIE in June 2006, has announced that he will be leaving TIE
for family reasons.

This announcement comes after recent problems
with road diversions in the centre of Edinburgh, and some slippage of the
tram timetable, particularly for the tram depot at Gogar. However,
TIE say that the problems can be resolved within the current budget.

This follows the announcement, last month, that
Neil Renilson, chief executive of Lothian Buses and Transport Edinburgh
Ltd, the company that will operate both trams and buses in Edinburgh, is
to retire early at the start of 2009.

Edinburgh council insists that no final decision
has yet been made on whether or not Line 1b from Roseburn to Granton is to
go ahead. But sources close to the project believe that there
will not be sufficient cash available to fund it.

The pace of developments at Granton and on the
Waterfront has slowed down as a result of the economic climate, so it
would not be surprising if it was decided not to proceed with Line 1b at
present. This line could be built later, but a better business case
might be made for building Line 3 to which would run to the SE to the new
Edinburgh Royal Infirmary

TIE had anticipated receiving £25m towards the
trams from developers with projects close to the line but, to date, only
£3m has been received.

The project has an overall funding pot of £545m (including £96m which is
regarded as a contingency reserve). The total cost of the project is
now estimated to be £512m, but in addition contractors are demanding a
further £50m to 80m before they start work on Princes Street. TIE
are refusing to pay this additional amount.

£500m of the £545m total has been
provided by Transport Scotland. Edinburgh Council had hoped to raise
the balance through developers' contributions and land sales.

Evening News: February 20, 2009

UPDATE 2:

Granton Line Shelved

Edinburgh
Council announced today that the Roseburn to Granton line had been
officially shelved, following the property market downturn. Council
leader, Jenny Dawe, said "We will revisit this as soon as the economic
situation improves." but it is not expected that the line will be
resurrected within the next few years.

Evening News: April 24, 2009

80.

Updates: December
2008

Princes Street and Mound - closed

Princes Street may be closed to traffic for eight
months in 2009 - from February to November, with a break for the Festival
in August, to allow the track to be laid.

The Mound is due to close again from January 17,
2009, to allow utility work to be carried out before the tram lines are
laid in Princes Street in March 2009.

Edinburgh Evening News, December 11, 2008:
p.5.

81.

Updates:
February 2009

Contractors demand £50m to £80m

Just as
traffic diversions are being implemented to take traffic off Princes
Street, to allow tram work to proceed, the tram project consortium BSG has
demanded an additional £50 to £80m before they begin work on Princes
Street. TIE have refused to pay, so the Princes Street work will not
begin on schedule.

However,
it is now too late to cancel this week's diversions, so they will go
ahead, while TIE and the contractors continue to negotiate terms.

The BSC consortium comprises the firms:

- Bilfinger Berger

- Siemens

- CAF.

If the
dispute cannot be resolved, transport chiefs are considering finding a
replacement for the German firm, Bilfinger Berger, but if parts of the
project need to be put out to tender again, it is feared that this could
put back the whole project by up to a year.

It was reported on February 25, 2009, that officials
had demanded immediate action from Bilfinger Berger, and had threatened to
sue the company if it failed to comply.

UPDATE 2:

There have
been some calls for the whole tram project to be abandoned, in the light
of the current dispute, but this is not thought to be a viable option.

To
date£215m has been spent on the project. If the whole project were
to be abandoned at this stage, it is believed that a further £100m of
costs would be incurred.

UPDATE 3:

On March 6, 2009, The Evening News reported that in
view of the still unresolved problems in Princes Street, it might be
necessary to delay the opening of the tram line to the east of Haymarket
and begin with a line that ran between the Airport and Haymarket.

UPDATE 4:

On March 13, 2009, it was announced that if the
dispute with Bilfinger Berger was not resolved within the next six days,
arbiters would be called in.

UPDATE 5:

There have
been some calls for the whole tram project to be abandoned, in the light
of the current dispute, but this is not thought to be a viable option.

To
date£215m has been spent on the project. If the whole project were
to be abandoned at this stage, it is believed that a further £100m of
costs would be incurred.

UPDATE 6:

The
amount demanded by Bilfinger Berger was subsequently reported to be about
£20m - considerably less than the £50m to £80m originally reported.

The dispute with Bilfinger Berger has been resolved in a last-minute deal
negotiated on March 20, 2009. Work on the project in Princes
Street can now resume.

However, Bilfinger Berger claims that there are still around 100 other
issues to be resolved, and that these are likely to push up costs.

82.

Updates:
February 2009

Model Tram

A full
size model tram has been set up outside Jenners in Princes Street.
It will be staffed and open to visitors for the next seven weeks, daily
from 11am to 4pm.

Edinburgh Evening News, February 23, 2009:
p.2.

UPDATE:

By
March 12, 41,000 people had visited the model tram in Princes
Street.

It was then moved to
Constitution Street, Leith. Now, it is standing outside the main
entrance to Ocean Terminal at Leith Docks.

Evening News: June 14, 2009

83.

Updates:
February 2009

Critics' Comments

An
article in the Evening News contrasted the official views, expressed by
TIE and critics' comments.

TIE
claims that the tram project is still on schedule and on budget.
Critics claim that it may end up to two years late and £250m over budget.

Critics
say that:

- a large water main under the site of the
proposed tram depot at Gogar had not been spotted on the initial survey,
and that there had been a delay of several months as TIE and Scottish
Water work out how best to move it.

- there have been delays in the utility
work being carried out at Haymarket, particularly moving another water
main. Work is also behind schedule in building a viaduct to bring
the trams up to street level at Haymarket.

- utility work in Princes Street should
have been completed in 2008, but is still ongoing. Further delays
may result if a turning table at the foot of Lothian Road, used by the
previous tram system has to be dug up.

- there has been a delay in laying
the first track in Leith Walk. It was due to be laid in January
2009, but the Leith Business Association does not expect to see it laid
until June 2009, two years after the tram work in Leith Walk began.

Edinburgh Evening News, February 23, 2009:
p.2.

84.

Updates:
March 2009

Dispute Resolved

The
dispute with Bilfinger Berger has been resolved.

It is
understood that only ten days' delay has resulted from the dispute, so it
is now expected that the street can be re-opened for the duration of the
summer and winter festivals.

Edinburgh Evening News, March 23, 2009:
p.2.

UPDATE:

It was
announced on May 6, 2009, that Princes Street will, in fact, remain closed
to traffic during the Edinburgh Festival in August 2009. This
should enable the street to be opened again by early November, in time for
Christmas and Hogmanay visitors.

Historic Scotland is looking at the possibility of Holyrood Park being
used for the Festival Cavalcade in 2009.

85.

Updates: April 2009

TIE - New Chief Executive

Richard
Jeffrey, a former managing director of Edinburgh Airport and the current
president of Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce , is to take up the post of
chief executive of TIE next month.

Richard
Jeffrey is currently working with international investment advisory
business, Babcock and Brown

Edinburgh Evening News, April 2, 2009:
p.2.

86.

Updates: April 2009

Princes Street - to be pedestrianised?

The transport diversions to cope with the
temporary closure of Princes Street to all traffic have led the council to
consider whether it might be a good idea to permanently ban:

- all traffic except trams and cycles from
Princes Street, or perhaps

- all traffic from George Street.

Princes Street Traders' Association favours the
pedestrianisation of Princes Street. George Street Association
favours the pedestrianisation of George Street.

Edinburgh Evening News, April 15, 2009:
p.8.

87.

Updates: June 2009

Nine-Month Delay

The
Evening News reports that work to create the new Gogar tram depot at
Gogar, which is on the critical path for the tram project, is currently
running 9 months behind schedule.

Problems
include a huge water main that runs through the site and delays by
Transport Scotland in reaching a final decision on plans for a new railway
station at Gogar.

So, if
nothing can be done to catch up, the Edinburgh trams are now not expected
to start operating until Spring 2012, and are very unlikely to be
delivered within their £545m budget.

Edinburgh Evening News, June 20, 2009:
p.1 and other pages

88.

Updates: June 2009

Princes Street unlikely to be Pedestrianised

In his first interview after taking over as the
city's transport leader, Gordon Mackenzie announced that it would put too
much pressure on George Street in the long term if buses and taxis were to
continue to use George Street and Princes Street were to be
pedestrianised.

He
reported that there had also been concern amongst the traders in both
George Street and Princes Street about the possible pedestrianisation of
Princes Street.

Edinburgh Evening News, June 24, 2009:
p.7

89.

Updates: July 2009

Two Years behind Schedule

John
Carson, former head of Miller Civil Engineering claims that work at Gogar
depot is not 9 months behind schedule as TIE had claimed last month, but
now 2 years behind schedule.

He
believed that completion date for the tram project was likely to be
"closer to 2014 than 2012" and that the total cost of the project could be
closer to £1bn than £545m.

TIE
responded, saying that John Carson had taken information out of context,
and that it was expected that the delay to the project as a whole
would be only a matter of months.

Edinburgh Evening News, July 3, 2009:
p.6

90.

Updates: July 2009

Sherlock Holmes Statue Moved

The
Sherlock Holmes statue has been removed from Picardy Place to allow a tram
stop to be built there. The statue will be put back nearby when the
work is completed.

Contractors were surprised to find a stainless steel time capsule
beneath the statue. The statue was erected in 1991 by the Federation
of Master Builders to mark their 50th year. Members of the
federation who know the contents of the time capsule have vowed not to
reveal the details.

Edinburgh Evening News, July 8, 2009:
p.6

91.

Updates: July 2009

Railway Station at Gogar

Network
Rail has submitted plans for a new station to be built at Gogar, at an
expected cost of £34-37mtrain. This would allow rail passengers to
transfer to the trams for Edinburgh Airport.

Network
Rail are to hold exhibitions and consultation of their proposed plans for
Gogar. The exhibitions will be at the Gyle Shopping Centre on July
29 and August 14.

Edinburgh Evening News, July 20, 2009:
p.13

92.

Updates: August 2009

Pedestrianisation Later

The
result of a feasibility study into the possible pedestrianisation of
Princes Street are awaited.

Marshall
Poulton, the council's head of transport said that one of the options
being looked at was the pedestrianisation of parts of George Street and
Princes Street, but no such measures would be brought in until at least a
year after the trams were up and running.

Edinburgh Evening News, August 12, 2009,
p.13

93.

Updates: August 2009

Over Budget and Late

TIE
admitted, for the firs time today, that the tram project may not com in
within its £545m budget., and said that it might now be 2013 before trams
start running.

The
final cost is not known. A senior council source said that there
were around 400 outstanding disputes with contractor Bilfinger Berger.
One source estimated that the council might have to meet a shortfall of
£90m.

Edinburgh Evening News, August 14, 2009,
pp.10-11

94.

Updates: September 2009

Trams due to be delivered - to
Croydon!

Edinburgh's first trams are due to be delivered in spring 2010, but the
Gogar depot will not be ready to accept them, and there is likely to be no
track to test them on, so TIE is currently discussing sending the trams,
first, to the London borough of Croydon.

TIE
chiefs added that they will be taking delivery of the 27 trams ordered for
lines 1a and 1b, despite the second route being dropped. "The
extra vehicles will ensure more regular services",
they said.

Edinburgh Evening News, September 8 2009,
pp.1,5

95.

Updates: October 2009

Over £550m - but running in
2012?

Costs
for the tram project now seem almost certain to exceed £550m. TIE
has estimated that the total cost will be £524.5m PLUS whatever whatever
TIE has to pay out to the contractors that it is currently in dispute
with.. However, the bill could soar as Bilfinger Berger are believed
to be looking for a further £80-100m for the project.

However,
Richard Jeffrey, TIE Chief Executive said that 2012 was"a realistic
and achievable date for completion".

Edinburgh Evening News, October 1, 2009,
p.5

96.

Updates: October 2009

Tunnel Unearthed

Tram
workers have unearthed a section of a disused underground tunnel
constructed around 1821, under Princes Street near the foot of the Mound.

The
tunnel. The Crawley Tunnel, used to carry a water supply from the
Meadows to the foot of the Mound and possibly on to Scotland Street.

TIE have been working closely with John Lawson,
curator for archaeology for the city. They say that the discovery of
the tunnel will not result in any adverse impact on their programme.

Edinburgh Evening News, October 17, 2009,
p.6

97.

Updates: November 2009

New Appointments

It has
been announced that:

- Richard Jeffrey, Chief Executive of the
tram firm TIE, is to be appointed Chief Executive of the company that is
to be responsible for Edinburgh's trams and buses, Transport Edinburgh Ltd
(TEL). He will also join the Board of TEL.

(Lothian Buses and TIE are due to merge by 2012
to form TEL.)

- TIE Board Member David Mackay will become
a Board member of TEL, and on January 1, 2020, he will become the new
Chairman of Lothian Buses.

- Ian Craig, Managing Director of Lothian
Buses is to join the Board of TEL.

Edinburgh Evening News, November 27, 2009,
p.5

98.

Updates: November 2009

Princes Street Opens to Traffic Again

After having been closed to traffic for nine
months, and following recent hectic activity by contractors in Princes
Street over the past few days, TIE handed back Princes Street to the city
at 7.30a on Sunday November 29, just two hours later than scheduled.

Tracks have now been laid from the south of
Waverley Bridge to South Charlotte Street,. Buses, taxis and cycles
have now begun to use Princes Street again.

There will now be no more major tram works in the
city until January 4, 2010 - when work will re-commence on Leith Walk.

Edinburgh Evening News, November 30, 2009,
p.5

99.

Updates: November 2009

Cycling on Princes Street

There have been complaints that the removal of a
cycle lane from Princes Street, together with the cobbles and tramlines to
contend with, have resulted in dangers for cyclists.

One cyclist posted footage of his crash on You
Tube, after pedalling along Princes Street with a camera mounted on his
handle bars.

Edinburgh Evening News, November 30, 2009,
p.5

100.

Updates: December 2009

Princes Street - Road Begins to
Crumble

A report in the Edinburgh Evening News began:

"A patch-up job is set to take place on
Princes Street after te road surface began breaking up within days of
traffic returning following the tram works.

Workers are expected to return to the street
over the next few nights after the road began crumbling next to the tram
tracks at the junction with The Mound.

The section, which was the last to be
completed ahead of the street's reopening on 29 November, was among the
areas of work hampered by bad weather.

Tram firm TIE said it had failed to add
sealant to some of the rails due to heavy rainfall, leaving critics to
accuse the company of carrying out a 'rushed job'."

Edinburgh Evening News, December
9, 2009, p 7

101.

Updates: December 2009

Tram Line 3

Tram Line 3 is now being discussed again. This
is the line from the East End of Princes Street, via Cameron Toll and the
Royal Infirmary to Newcraighall.

This is one of the lines that was originally
proposed, then shelved following the 'No' vote on the council's proposed
congestion charges in 2005.

The council believe that this line would be
important in attracting companies to become established in the new
'BioQuarter beside the Royal Infirmary at Little France.

This line does not yet have approval from the
Scottish Government, and it is unlikely that any funding could become
available before 2012.

Edinburgh Evening News, December 10,
2009, pp. 8-9

102.

Updates: December 2009

Cycling on Princes Street

Complaints from cyclists about the re-opened
Princes Street are continuing. One cyclist wrote a letter to the
Evening News, beginning:

"Cycling east along Princes Street for
the first time since work had finished, I soon realised how terrifying he
new tram lines are. All it would take is a momentary lapse of
concentration and I'd have plunged into the gaping groove, wrecked my bike
and found myself under the wheels of a bus."

Edinburgh Evening News, December 17,
2009, p.16

103.

Updates: December 2009

Cycling on Princes Street

Danny
Callaghan wrote:

"On Saturday I crossed over
Princes Street which has now been open to buses & taxis for 3 weeks and
noticed that the tarmac alongside the tram lines is breaking up
already.

So there will be more than just
tram lines for our cyclist friends to contend with - great big
pot holes.

I would suggest to our cycling
friend they should not have any momentary lapses of
concentration while cycling on any road, as cars, buses and lorries are
very hard and are likely to damage more than their bike."

Danny Callaghan: Falkirk, Stirlingshire, Scotland: December
21, 2009

Update

Others
have also noticed that the road surface broke away from the tram lines,
almost immediately after the tram lines were laid, especially near the
foot of the Mound.

The
contractors say this has happened because there was heavy rain in the days
leading up to the re-opening of Princes Street, so the laid the new road
surface without including the sealant between the surface and the rails.
They are going to go back and fix the problem.

Peter Stubbs: December 21, 2009

104.

Updates: December 2009

Road Works - Shandwick Place

"It has been announced that
Shandwick Place, a busy shopping street leading to the west from the West
End of Princes Street, is to close on January 4, 2010 and is expected to
remain closed until mid-2011.

Traders have expressed
disappointment at the length of this closure. They had previously been
told that the road would open again at the end of 2010."

There is also uncertainty as to
whether or not the track-laying work will go ahead on schedule, as TIE is
currently in dispute with its contractor over this part of the route.

During these road works,
eastbound traffic will be diverted along Manor Place and Melville Street.
Buses heading west will use the Western Approach Road and Morrison Street."

Edinburgh Evening News: December
22, 2009

105.

Updates:
April 2010

Edinburgh
Evening News reported:

Two-thirds of Cash Spent

Responding to a parliamentary question,
Transport Minister, Stewart Stevenson, announced that more than £350m of
the £545m available (£500m from Scottish Parliament and £45m from
Edinburgh Council) has already been spent on the tram project

Tram Tax Shortfall

Developers have committed £12.5m towards the
cost of the tramline, but to date only £4.5m has been received.

Edinburgh Council has, so far raised about
£30m of the £45m it is to contribute to the project. In order to
reach this £30m total, it has had to borrow £21m. It may need to
borrow more against future income from the project.

The details above are based on an article in Edinburgh Evening News:
April 27, 2010, p.6

106.

Updates:
May 2010

Edinburgh
Evening News reported:

Gogar Interchange Approved

Edinburgh's full council has approved Network
Rail's plans to build a £43m tram and rail interchange on the railway to
the east of Gogar Roundabout. This will provide the main rail link
to Edinburgh Airport, with the final leg of the journey to the airport
being by tram.

The project to create the interchange is
expected to take 12 months, beginning in Autumn 2010.

The details above are based on an article in Edinburgh Evening News:
May 3, 2010, p.2

107.

Updates:
May 2010

Edinburgh
Evening News reported:

Tram Parked In Princes Street

Edinburgh's first tram has now been parked in
Princes Street, near The Mound for about a month and has been visited by
more than 30,000 people so far.

TIE are seeking permission to keep the
tram in place as long as visitor numbers remain high.

The details above are based on an article in Edinburgh Evening News:
May 31, 2010, p.10

NOTE:

It had,
earlier, been reported that the £2m, 140 ft long tram had arrived in
Edinburgh on schedule and would be put on display in Princes Street from
28 April 2010. Alastair Richards, Managing Director of Edinburgh
Trams has said: "I am now turning my team's focus towards bringing the
rest of the fleet to Edinburgh in preparation for service in 2012."

Edinburgh Evening News: April 26, 2010: p.3

UPDATE:

Comments on the Tram

Not everybody was happy with
this tram. Here are extracts from a letter published in the
Evening News on July 1, 2010:

"Every time I pass that stationary,
useless vehicle in the middle of Princes Street, my blood pressure rises
to dizzy heights. The havoc this proposed tram line has caused is
beyond my ken. ... Well, enough is enough. I personally wish I
had the power to put that empty hunk of tin to good use. I would
gather all the councillors responsible for the decision to bring back the
trams, lock them all in and pelt them with over-ripe tomatoes."

Edinburgh Evening News: July 1, 2010: p.16

108.

Updates:
June 2010

Edinburgh
Evening News reported:

Possible 2 or 3 Year Delay

TIE's dispute with contractor, Bilfinger
Berger, is likely to end in a court battle. This could result in
work on the project being stopped and the project being delayed by two or
three years.

Costs

TIE have been criticised by Edinburgh Council
for not disclosing the likely cost over-run. TIE claim that disclosing
this could damage their position in contractual negotiations.

The details above are based on an article in Edinburgh Evening News:
June 7, 2010, pp1,4,5
Headline: 'TRAMS; END OF THE LINE'

UPDATE:

Business Plan Update

TIE has been ordered to provide a report to the
council by September 16, 2010, detailing all the options and costs, with
an update on the Business Plan.

Edinburgh Evening News: June 25, 2010, p.6

109.

Updates:
June 2010

Edinburgh
Evening News reported:

Only 18% of Infrastructure Work Completed

Richard Jeffrey, TIE Chief Executive, has
admitted that only 18% of the infrastructure work for the tram project has
been completed. (The figure by now should have been 86%.)

Around £350m - around two-thirds of the total
budget has already been spent.

Call for a Referendum

The SNP plans to call for a referendum on
scrapping the tram project if the current dispute with the contractors
cannot be completed within the next few weeks.

The details above are based on an article in Edinburgh Evening News:
June 9, pp.1,5
Headline: 'TRAMS CRISIS'

110

Updates:
June 2010

Edinburgh
Evening News reported:

Impact on Lothian Buses

Discussions are understood to have taken place
about the possible selling and leasing back Lothian Buses' four depots and
some of its vehicles to provide £50-70m for the trams.

However, a spokesman for TIE insisted that
there had been no discussions concerning the future of Lothian Buses, and
the city's transport convener has said that such a move would be a
'non-starter'.

The details above are based on an article in Edinburgh Evening News:
June 17, p.6

UPDATE 1:

Subsidy Needed

TIE are expected to tell Edinburgh Council that
heavy subsidy will be needed, potentially by Lothian Buses, to meet any
shortfall in the £600m cost of building the line from Edinburgh Airport to
Haymarket.

A report on the tram project published today
says that the council will plan for a 10% contingency for the £545m
project, and that parts of the line may never be built.

Tram Route

A number of options are being considered,
including stopping the line at one of:

- Haymarket

- York Place

- Foot of Leith Walk or

- Ocean Terminal

- Newhaven (the original planned
terminus).

According to the tram chiefs, opening the line
in its entirety still remains the preferred option. They say that
the line could still be up and running by 2012! They hinted at signs
of a breakthrough in negotiations with contractor Bilfinger Berger.

John Carson, a former head of maintenance at
Network Rail says: 'TIE is i denial if it thinks the tram line can be
delivered by 2012 for just an extra £55m.

The details above are based on an article in Edinburgh Evening News:
June 18, pp.,6,7
Headline: 'IT'S ALL A TRAM MESS'

UPDATE 1:

Haymarket by 2011

TIE believe that the tram line between the
airport and Haymarket could be completed by 2011 !

Edinburgh Evening News: June 19, pp.,1,9

UPDATE 2:

Four
days later, The Evening News reported:

Airport to York Place

A rescue plan for Edinburgh's trams will stop
the line in the city centre in order to bring the project in under budget.

A new deal being thrashed out by tram
bosses and contractor Bilfinger Berger would deliver a scaled-back route
from the airport to York Place by June 2012, at a cost of under £500
million.

Business leaders in Leith say it is a
'disgrace'.

Edinburgh Evening News: June 23, pp.,1,5

112

Updates:
June 2010

The Evening News reported that more than
1,700 people had taken part in its tram poll, and that the results were:

Tram Poll

47% said: 'Scrap the trams.'

39% said: 'Keep going.'

In response to the question: 'Did you
support the idea of a tram system for Edinburgh before building work
began?'

29% said : 'Yes.'

63% said: 'No.'

The details above are based on an article in Edinburgh Evening News:
June 19, pp.,1,9:
Headline: 'TRAMS SPLIT CITY'.

113

Updates:
July 2010

Edinburgh Evening News reported:

Princes Street Repairs

Tram workers have returned to Princes Street
to patch-up the street for the third time since it was re-opened to
traffic last November.

The westbound lane has been closed to buses to
allow the work to proceed.

The details above are based on an article in Edinburgh Evening News:
July 3, 2010: p.9

UPDATE 1:

Other
Repairs

The
repairs and diversions above lasted for only a few days, but other utility
work lasted for longer. The Evening News reported that Broughton
Street had already been closed for several months for utility work in
connection with the trams, and that work had now commenced, working 24
hours a day, on utility diversions in York Place.

Edinburgh Evening News: July 12, 2010: p.6

UPDATE 2:

Gridlock

TIE
have apologised apologised to travellers for the gridlock and tailbacks
that occurred yesterday, with delays of up to 50 minutes for buses.
There were problems with traffic light sequencing when measures were taken
to restore the traffic management measures in the West End to how they
were before the tram works. Similar problems occurred in October
2008 when The Mound was closed for tram works.

It had been intended to close Shandwick Place
to traffic for 18 months from early-2010 to allow the tram tracks to be
laid. However, because of the ongoing dispute with Bilfinger Berger,
this work is not currently going ahead.

Once the trams start operating in Shandwick
Place, it is proposed to close Shandwick Place to cars.

The details above are based on an article in Edinburgh Evening News:
July 22, 2010: p.4

UPDATE 1:

Objections

Despite having received 400 objections to the
plan to ban cars from Shandwick Place, Edinburgh Council has recommended
going ahead with the ban.

Edinburgh Evening News: September 6, 2010, p.9

UPDATE
2:

Approval

The Traffic
Regulation Order, banning all vehicles except trams and buses (and
cycles? and taxis?) from Shandwick Place has been approved, despite
objections from residents nearby having concern over the likely increase
in noise and air pollution in thier streets in the New Town.

Edinburgh Evening News: November 24, 2010: p.9

115

Updates:
July 2010

Edinburgh Evening News reported:

Dispute with Contractors

City leaders expect a 'mature divorce' with
Bilfinger Berger over the Edinburgh tram project. Gordon Mackenzie,
transport leader reported: 'Overall, there are more positives than
negatives - we've seen a substantial improvement in the approach taken by
Bilfinger over the last six to eight weeks ..."

Bilfinger Berger is expected to provide a full
breakdown of costs and timescales for a way forward by the end of this
week.

The details above are based on an article in Edinburgh Evening News:
July 22, 2010: p.4

116

Updates:
August 2010

Edinburgh Evening News reported:

Gogar Tram Depot

After being plagued by a series of delays,
Gogar Tram Depot is expected to be finished before the end of 2010.
TIE hopes to offer guided tours of the depot.

Bilfinger Berger is expected to provide a full
breakdown of costs and timescales for a way forward by the end of this
week.

The details above are based on an article in Edinburgh Evening News:
August 6, 2010: p.9

UPDATE
1:

Tram Storage

Gogar depot is still not ready to accommodate the
tram that stood for several months in Princes Street, so it is to be taken
for storage to an industrial estate in Broxburn, West Lothian.

Edinburgh Evening News: November 24, 2010: p.8

UPDATE 2:

Out in the Cold

The
Evening News has printed photos of Edinburgh's first tram, saying that it
was "out in the cold" and had been tracked down "found lying in
bits and covered in snow at East Mains Industrial Estate, Broxburn".

TIE responded, saying:

"The
tram vehicle is checked regularly. It was designed to be stored, as
well as operate at low temperatures."

Edinburgh Evening News: December 24, 2010: pp. 1,7

117

Updates:
August 2010

Edinburgh Evening News reported:

Staff Costs

TIE Chief Executive, Richard Jeffrey (former
Edinburgh Airport boss) reported that in order to reflect the current
status of the project, he has imposed a pay freeze for TIE's 76 employees
for the current financial year, and is paying no bonuses to employees.

The details above are based on an article in Edinburgh Evening News:
August 17, 2010: p.8

118

Updates:
August 2010

Edinburgh Evening News reported:

Princes Street Tram

The tram may be temporarily moved from its
position in Princes Street, near the foot of The Mound, to enable people
to get a better view of Pope Benedict XVI as he is driven along Princes
Street in his Popemobile on September 16, 2010.

I was amused by the headline that the Evening
News used for this article:

"In the Name of God, Move your Tram"

The details above are based on an article in Edinburgh Evening News:
August 25, 2010: pp.1, 6, 7

119

Updates:
September 2010

Edinburgh Evening News reported:

Tram Route

The long-awaited report on the future of the
tram project is not now expected until October 2010. However, there
now appear to be only two options:

1. Trams will run from the airport to
York Place

Under this option, the line
would be provided by Bilfinger Berger as far as York Place, then TIE would
advertise for another contractor to continue the line from York Place to
Newhaven.

OR

2. 'Tear up the contract with
Bilfinger Berger'.

This would be likely to end in a
lengthy court battle and further delays.

Sources close to the contractor say they
believe that TIE is struggling to find the cash to build the tram line
from the airport as far as Haymarket. However, TIE has ruled out
opening a shorter section of the route, such as the airport to Haymarket,
as that would not be financially viable.

The details above are based on an article in Edinburgh Evening News:
September 4, 2010, pp.1,5
Evening News Headline: 'YORK PLACE OR BUST!''.

UPDATE:

Business Case

A new version of the business case for trams
had been expected to be discussed by the council on the day of the Pope's
visit to Edinburgh, September 18, 2010. However, the discussion has now been put back due to the ongoing dispute with Bilfinger
Berger.

The Evening News understands that the current
preferred option would be "to see the tram line run from the airport to
York Place under plans for a 'mature divorce' with Bilfinger Berger".

The details above are based on an article in Edinburgh Evening News:
August 25, 2010: pp.1, 6, 7

120

Updates:
September 2010

Edinburgh Evening News reported:

Trams from March 2013

In March 2010, TIE Chief Executive denied
claims by contractor Bilfinger Berger that the project could be as late as
January 2014 and insisted that June 2012 was an achievable deadline.

The TIE website still predicts 2012, but a
document released under a 'Freedom of Information' request shows TIE
admitting to Transport Scotland that their program currently predicts that
it will be early-March 2013 before trams are open for business.

The details above are based on an article in Edinburgh Evening News:
September 7, 2010, p.6

NOTE:

When the tram scheme was first announced in 2003,
it had a proposed completion date of 2008, and cost of £375m.

Edinburgh Evening News: October 4, 2010, p.6.

121

Updates:
September 2010

Edinburgh Evening News reported:

Project Impasse

The dispute with Bilfinger Berger now seems
likely to be heading for the courts. There is believed to be a gap
of over £100m between the sum that TIE are willing to pay and the amount
demanded by Bilfinger Berger.

It is understood that Bilfinger Berger
estimate that it will cost £700m to complete the line from the airport to
York Place.

A report on the future of the project was
expected in September 2010, but delayed until October 2010. Council
leader, Jenny Dawe has not ruled out further delays, admitting that
negotiations were taking longer than expected.

The details above are based on an article in Edinburgh Evening News:
September 11, 2010, p.5

122

Updates:
September 2010

Edinburgh Evening News reported on September 25,
2010:

Princes Street

Fractures have been found under the road
surface, following the laying of the tram tracks in Princes Street, so the
street may have to be dug up again.

Three days later, Edinburgh Evening News
reported:

Despite being dissatisfied with the quality of
the work done by the contractor in Princes Street, TIE had ruled out
digging up the street again. City transport leader, Gordon Mackenzie
also insisted that there were no plans to dig up Princes Street again
- BUT see 141 below

The details above are based on an article in Edinburgh Evening News:
September 25, 2010, p.6 + September 28, 2010

123

Updates:
October 2010

Edinburgh Evening News reported:

Bilfinger Berger Lays Off Staff

Bilfinger Berger wrote to 36 workers
yesterday, telling them that they would no longer be needed to carry out
'goodwill works''. Bilfinger Berger claim that TIE has withheld payment
for the work for several months, but TIE say they are continuing to pay
the contractor 'as per contract'.

Those who have lost their jobs say that the
redundancies affect about 75% of those employed directly by Bilfinger
Berger to work on the tram project.

The details above are based on an article in Edinburgh Evening News:
October 1, 2010, pp.1,5

UPDATE:

Relationships
between TIE and Bilfinger Berger seem to have worsened in recent weeks.
One source estimates that Bilfinger Berger are owed between £10m and
£15m for work already carried out. Workers are no longer working on
the A8 underpass at Gogar, and it is understood that TIE has issued
Bilfinger Berger with nine 'remedial termination' or breach of contract
notices in recent weeks.

Edinburgh Evening News: October 4, 2010, p.6.

124

Updates:
October 2010

Edinburgh Evening News reported:

Business Case

A new business case is due to be discussed by
councillors next week. It claims that a tram line from the airport
to St Andrew Square would be viable from day 1**.
But the Evening News report adds:

"However, that business case relies on
the Capital's bus service shouldering most of the burden for three or four
years when present operator, Lothian Buses, is amalgamated into the new
bus and tram operator Transport Edinburgh Limited (TEL).

The bus to trams subsidy is thought to run to
several million pounds a year."

The details above are based on an article in Edinburgh Evening News:
October 8, 2010, p.4

** NOTE

It sound odd to describe this as 'viability
from year 1'. To me, it looks more like 'viable from year 3 or 4.'

UPDATE 1:

A
new campaign group called 'Save Lothian Buses - Stop the Merger' has now been set up.

Edinburgh Evening News: October 9, 2010

UPDATE 2:

TIE have
confirmed their intention to press ahead with the merger with Lothian
Buses, despite suggestions that Lothian Buses should be left to run the
tram line.

Edinburgh Evening News:
November 17, 2010, p.4

125

Updates:
October 2010

Edinburgh Evening News reported:

Lothian Buses

Further opposition has been expressed to the
proposals that Edinburgh's buses should subsidise the trams.

Neil Renilson, former Chief Executive of
Lothian Buses, says:

"Sacrificing Lothian Buses city-wide network
of high quality bus services in order to raise yet more money to
spend on the tram scheme would be an act of complete folly."

Pilmar Smith, former Chief Executive of
Lothian Buses, says:

"We have the best bus service in the UK
outside London and I'm outraged that anyone could contemplate breaking
that up to subsidise the tram. I shudder to think what might happen
to Lothian Buses if this goes ahead.

Steve Cardownie, Deputy Council Leader, says:

"It concerns me that this tram service, when
eventually it gets up and running, could be an albatross around Lothian
Buses' neck with fares possibly going up and less profitable routes not
running."

The details above are based on an article in Edinburgh Evening News:
October 12, 2010, p.5

126

Updates:
October 2010

Edinburgh Evening News reported:

Tram Route to Foot of Leith Walk

At a full council meeting was agreed to
provide more detailed information on the refreshed business case to
councillors, but not to members of the public.

Speaking after the meeting, Councillor Gordon
MacKenzie, transport leader, said he would like to see trams go beyond St
Andrew Square as soon as possible, and he believed that it would be
possible to continue the line to the foot of Leith Walk within four years,
without needing any extra money. (How
would he achieve that?)

The details above are based on an article in Edinburgh Evening News:
October 15, 2010, p.4

127

Updates:
November 2010

Edinburgh Evening News reported:

TIE Chairman Resigns

David Mackay, Chairman of TIE and Lothian
Buses, who was to become the Chairman of the new merged company Transport
Edinburgh Limited has resigned, siting 'personal reasons' for his
decision.

He had described the tram project as
"Hell on Wheels". Today, he commented on the contractor for the tram
project, Bilfinger Berger, saying:

"Bilfinger Berger was a delinquent contractor
who scented a victim, who probably greatly underbid and who would
use the contract to make life extremely difficult for the city. And
they have done exactly that."

City transport convener, Gordon Mackenzie said
:

"Despite public perception, we have a really
strong team in place. David has been a very loyal and good chairman
and he has left the project in a better place than he found it."

David Mackay's resignation has prompted
further calls for a re-think on whether or not Edinburgh's trams and
Lothian Buses should be merged into a single company.

The city's transport leader, Gordon Mackenzie
defended the case for the planned merger, but said there was a strong case
for separate chairmen being appointed for TIE and Lothian Buses in the
future.

Steve Cardownie, deputy council leader
believes that David Mackay's departure should lead to a pause in the
planned merger.

The details above are based on an article in Edinburgh Evening News:
November 3, 2010, pp. 1,5 + November 4, 2010, p.6

UPDATE
1:

Brian Cox, who previously worked for
Stagecoach and currently sits on the Board of TIE, is to be appointed
as TIE/TEL Chairman on an interim basis until a permanent appointment can
be made.

Edinburgh Evening News: November 13, 2010, p.4

UPDATE
2:

Vic Emery, former Managing Director of various
BAE Systems companies is to be recommended to take up the position as
Chairman of TIE and Transport Edinburgh Ltd (TEL).

Edinburgh Evening News: January 29, 2011, p.2

UPDATE
2:

Vick Emery's appointments as Chairman of TIE and
Transport Edinburgh Ltd (TEL) were officially confirmed at a council
meeting yesterday.

Edinburgh Evening News: February 4, 2011, p.11

128

Updates:
November 2010

Poem

Ron Butlin, Edinburgh Poet-Laureate (Makar) wrote
a poem to articulate some of the frustration felt about the trams by
Edinburgh's residents.

The poem is
written in Scots dialect, from the perspective of the tram on display in
Princes Street.

The poem begins:

Our Tram's Plea tae the Councillors o' Edinburgh

"I'm scunnered wi' gaitherin' stour an' decay,

Wi' blockin' up Princes Street, wastin' away

- gang naewhere, daein' nowt, nae staps an'
nae route

whiles wunnering whit bein' a tram's aa aboot.

Sae dinna scoot past while I list ma travails,

- it's no' me, I'm thinkin' that's ganged aff
the rails!"

The poem ends:

"Oor city's been patient, but its patience is
done.

It's fed up o' the mess and there's mair mess
tae come

... an I'm fed up tae. I maun stairt on
ma route

afore the last track is lifted an' I'm
cancelled oot!"

Edinburgh Evening News: November 12, 2010, p.3

129

Updates:
November 2010

Cartoon

Five days after the poem above appeared in the
paper, the Evening news published a cartoon by it's cartoonist, Fred
Boyle.

Picking up on some recent incidents where stones
and other items have been thrown at buses in Edinburgh, he drew a tram
with people throwing money at it from a sack marked "Taxpayers' Money"

The destination on the front of the tram was
"NAEWHERE" !

Edinburgh Evening News: November 17, 2010, p.17

130

Updates:
November 2010

Edinburgh Evening News reported:

Mediation

Councillors and TIE bosses have agreed that
the time has come enter a formal mediation with Bilfinger Berger. It
is hoped that a mediator can be appointed quickly.

The details above are based on an article in Edinburgh Evening News:
November 19, 2010, p.9

UPDATE 1:

The
commencement of peace talks has been delayed due to failure to agree on a
mediator. Last month, former Holyrood inquiry counsel, John Campbell
QC offered his services, but it is understood that TIE are not keen to
appoint anyone from Scotland to the role amid concerns about their
suitability.

Edinburgh Evening News: December 18, 2010

UPDATE 2:

An American mediator has been appointed.
There are hopes that the talks can be completed within three days (once
they begin!) but the mediator will not be able to take up his role for
another two months.

Critics have accused TIE of attempting to delay any progress until after
the May 2011 Scottish Parliament elections in the hope that a new
government would provide more cash for the project.

Edinburgh Evening News: January 14, 2011, p.2

UPDATE 3:

TIE and the BSC Consortium, of which Bilfinger
Berger is a part, have put out a joint statement saying:

"We are
pleased to report that the first stage of the mediation preparatory work
is already underway and the next steps agreed. Both parties are
working diligently to ensure that mediation takes place as soon as is
practical. It is envisaged that mediation will be complete by
mid-March 2011. ..."

Edinburgh Evening News: January 17, 2011, p11

131

Updates:
December 2010

Edinburgh Evening News reported:

The Future of TIE

Councillor Gordon Mackenzie, transport
committee has admitted that one of the options being considered was the
winding up of TIE, with the responsibility for operating the tram line
passing to Lothian Buses.

He said:

"The assumptions that were made when we set up
TEL was that we would have tram lines 1, 2 and 3, EARL (Edinburgh Airport
Rail Link) and the park and ride sites.

Clearly, a lot of that has changed and we need
to review what the role is for TEL and Lothian Buses going forward.

It's been apparent to me for some months that
the arguments originally there for TEL are no longer there and Transdev is
no longer part of the picture either."

The details above are based on an article in Edinburgh Evening News:
December 9, 2010, p.7

132

Updates:
December 2010

Edinburgh Evening News reported:

Business Case

TIE has said in its latest business case that
it hopes to deliver the line from
Edinburgh Airport as far as St Andrew Square for £545m (the amount originally
earmarked for the entire line) by the end of 2012. This was
predicted by the Evening News but denied by TIE in June 2010.

TIE still remains committed to building the
full route from the airport to Newhaven, but this will not operate
initially.

The details above are based on an article in Edinburgh Evening News:
December 11, pp.6,7

UPDATE:

Will the Trams be Profitable?

Originally, the tram project was expected to make
a return of £1.77 for every £1 spent. TIE's business case estimates
that even allowing for:

- a 25% increase in cost (i.e.
line built all the way to Newhaven for a cost of £680m) and

- less passengers, due to the
slowdown in developments at Leith, Newhaven and Granton

the project would still make a return of £1.10
for every £1 spent.

However, John Carson, a former head of
maintenance at Network Rail and a long-standing critic of the trams
says that the figures have been "heavily massaged". He says:

"TIE should wake up and smell the roses.
The cost has doubled. If this is applied to their heavily-massaged ratio,
the figure is well below one, with the corresponding conclusion that the
project should be abandoned."

Edinburgh Evening News: December 14, 2010, p.8

NOTE:

I have
found that many of the Evening News reports on trams follow a
similar pattern, with one or more of these elements:

1. An optimistic comment on future plans
made by TIE.

2.
Comments in support of TIE, by Gordon
Mackenzie, the city's transport convener.

"We're probably there or thereabouts to have
the tram delivered now, but we'll probably leave it until February or
March. We hope that our initial piece of test track will be
operational from April if there's a positive outcome to the mediation."

TIE say there is the possibility that
the public could be taken on board, on the test track, at a later date as
part of a PR exercise.

TIE has been storing its first tram in
Broxburn since November 2010. More trams have been built and some
are being stored in Spain. TIE hope that with the finished vehicles
being

The details above are based on an article in Edinburgh Evening News:
January 4, 2011, pp.1,6,7
Evening News Headline: "GOOD NEWS - FIRST TRAM SET TO RUN IN SUMMER
BAD NEWS: IT WILL GO HALF A MILE."

UPDATE 1:

Tram Depot still not Completed

I was invited by TIE to go on a guided tour of
the tram depot on May 10, 2011. The TIE staff were helpful and keen
to show the depot to us, but unfortunately, construction work was still
ongoing so we were not able to gain access to the depot! There were
not yet any trams being stored at the depot, and the test track had not
yet been built.

Peter Stubbs, Edinburgh May 10, 2011

UPDATE 2:

Tram Deliveries - Autumn 2011

Vic Emery, TIE Chairman says:

"Gogar depot is due to be completed later this
year and trams delivered to the site in the Autumn."

Edinburgh Evening News: May 12, 2011: p.4

134

Updates:
January 2011

Edinburgh Evening News reported:

TIE HR Director Leaves

Claire Malecki, who has been HR Manager
at TIE since 2007 is set to leave the project "for personal reasons" next
week, after working her notice.

A TIE spokesman said that a straw poll at the
office suggested that morale was, in fact, good.

However the Evening News quoted a former
senior employee who had left the project within the past year. He
said:

"Morale has suffered as the project lurches
from one crisis to another. There's a lot of unhappy people there
- about 90% of the organisation are trying to get out."

The Evening News went on to list senior staff
who have left TIE within the past year:

- Graeme
Bissett: Former Kwik Fit
Director, Advisor to TIE Board.

- Stewart
McGarrity: Former Finance and
Performance Director.

- David
MacKay: Chairman.

- Bob Bell:
A Construction Manager

- Mark
Hamill: A Risk Manager

- Graeme
Barclay: Construction Director

- Caire
Malecki: HR Manager

The details above are based on an article in Edinburgh Evening News:
January 21, 2011, p.7

135

Updates:
January 2011

Edinburgh Evening News reported:

Princes Street Costs

BSC are claiming 12.3m for work carried out on
Princes Street, and have launched legal action to recover the balance of
£3m that they claim is due to them by TIE.

Work to lay the Princes Street tracks had
originally been due to cost £2m, but in 2010 TIE admitted that the cost
had risen to £8m and hinted that it could go higher.

This dispute is set to go to an adjudicator.

The details above are based on an article in Edinburgh Evening News:
January 21, 2011, p.7 and January 25, p.1

136

Updates:
February 2011

Edinburgh Evening News reported:

Audit Scotland Report

A report from the public spending watchdog, Audit Scotland, has called for
ministers to consider whether Transport Scotland (who have provided £500m
towards Edinburgh's tram project on behalf of the Scottish Government)
should be more actively involved in avoiding further possible delays and
cost over-runs on the project.

So far £402m of the £5450m available from the
Scottish Government and Edinburgh Corporation has been spent, but only 28%
of the work has been completed.

The details above are based on an article in Edinburgh Evening News:
February 3, 2011, pp.6,7

UPDATE:

Following the publication of Audit Scotland's
report (above) the new council chief executive is to discuss with
councillors a proposal to give Transport Scotland a place on the TIE
Board. However, a spokesman for Transport Scotland said that this is
not the right time to discuss substantial changes to the governance of the
project.

Evening News: February 4, 2011,p.11

137

Updates:
February 2011

Edinburgh Evening News reported:

Trams to be Leased?

TIE has a contract for 27 trams at £2m each,
but is unlikely to need them all initially, so some may be leased to other
cities (including Croydon) to raise cash.

The prospect of leasing trams to Croydon was
first raised by TIE in late-2009, but at that time TIE insisted that any
such move would just be an opportunity for the trams to be tested.

How Many Trams will be Needed?

The 27 trams were ordered for:

- Route 1a
from the airport to Newhaven

-
Route 1b from Haymarket to Granton.

However, it is now proposed that the only
route to operate initially will be:

- Route 1a
from the airport to St Andrew Square

John Carson, a former head of maintenance at
Network Rail, and a long-standing critic of the trams, believes that
only 8 trams will be needed to operate this route.

The details above are based on an article in Edinburgh Evening News:
February 16, 2011, p.11

138

Updates:
February 2011

Edinburgh Evening News reported:

Tram Line 3

A report has been commissioned from
consultants Steer Davies Gleave, by Edinburgh Council in partnership with
Scottish Enterprise, Edinburgh University, NHS Lothian and TIE.

This report predicts that building Tram Line
3, now re-named South Edinburgh Tram Line (SETL), would bring significant
economic benefits to the area and would help to bring forward further
development of Edinburgh's BioQuarter.

However, now does not appear to be the best
time to promote a new tram line, as TIE focuses is currently focusing all
its attention on resolving the dispute with the contractor delivering Tram
Line 1

SNP Lothians MSP, Shirley-Ann Somerville said:

"It is vital that people get some answers on
how much the first line is going to cost and when we will see a tam
running.

Tram Line 3 has a much better business case
than line one, but nobody is going to take it seriously until we know
what's happening with the project."

The details above are based on an article in Edinburgh Evening News:
February 18, 2011, p.6

139

Updates:
February 2011

Edinburgh Evening News reported:

Only 38% Budget Remains

According to the final Business Case for the
trams, published in 2007, today is the day that trams were to start
running. claim that 72% of the work is still to be done. Just
38% of the budget is left.

Donald McGougan, the council's finance
director said that he had not ruled out approaching Transport
Scotland or the Scottish for more money, despite Finance Secretary John
Swinney's repeated insistence that the tram project would receive "not a
penny more" of public funding.

The details above are based on an article in Edinburgh Evening News:
February 25, 2011, pp.1,8,9
Evening News Headline: "TIME'S UP"

UPDATE 1:

£440 million Spent

A new report on the outcome of the mediation
talks shows that around £440 million has now been spent on the tram
project.

Only yesterday, the council said that the
total amount spent was £411.5 million.

Evening News: March 26, 2011, p.8

140

Updates:
March 2011

Edinburgh Evening News reported:

Airport Ticket Office

The Evening News includes an artist's
illustration of the proposed ticket office and tram stop at Edinburgh
Airport.

Heritage Group, The Cockburn Association, say
that the plans are hardly adequate as a welcoming experience for overseas
visitors, and criticised the decision not to make the tram stop fully
enclosed, meaning that passengers could be soaked by horizontal rain on
windy days.

However, council planning officials have
recommended that the proposals are given the go-ahead.

The details above are based on an article in Edinburgh Evening News: March
7, 2011, p.5

141

Updates:
March 2011

Edinburgh Evening News reported:

Princes Street

Contractors returned to Princes Street last
week end to repair the crumbling road surface, and they will be back again
this weekend.

The details above are based on an article in Edinburgh Evening News: March
10, 2011, p.4

UPDATE 1:

Princes Street to Close Again

July 11 to May 12

TIE have announced that Princes Street is to
be closed from July 2011 to May 2012 to allow repairs to be carried out,
following problems with the installation of tram tracks in 2009. The
cost of this repair work will be met by Bilfinger Berger. A full
diversion of buses, taxis and cycles will be required.

The road surface has deteriorated so badly
that the work will have to be carried out whether or not the trams are to
reach St Andrew Square. Bilfinger Berger claim that Edinburgh had
presented unique problems. The weather and number of buses using the
street had caused the tarmac to crack. They now propose to surface
the street with black concrete instead of Tarmac.

Tripoli Comment

Vic Emery, TIE Chairman, enraged critics when,
in a Press Conference, he said "We need to clean up Edinburgh and
stop it looking like Tripoli at the moment." **

Deputy council leader, Steve Cardownie said
"I nearly fell off my chair when he made that statement .I'm an
opponent of the tram project but this city does not look like Tripoli."

** Vic Emery
subsequently withdrew his remark. See Update 2 below.

Chief Executive

The Press asked why Richard Jeffrey, TIE Chief
Executive, had not been present at the Press Briefing that made the
announcement above.

Vick Emery, Chairman replied: "He is back in
the office, doing some work for me."

Evening News: May 12, 2011, p.4

UPDATE 2:

Tripoli Comment

In a letter to the Evening News, Richard Jeffrey, TIE Chief Executive,
apologised for the remark he made yesterday, comparing Edinburgh to the
Libyan Capital, Tripoli.

He wrote:

"I categorically with draw this remark and
realise that I may have caused offence without intending to do so.

My remark was made with reference to the
frustration that I have felt witnessing work sites where, at times, holes
in the ground have been left for months with no work taking place. I
accept this was an inappropriate statement."

Evening News, May 13, 2011

142

Updates:
March 2011

Edinburgh Evening News reported:

Mediation

The first few days of mediation talks, led by
an unnamed American mediator at Mar Hall Hotel near Glasgow, ended
yesterday with a joint statement:

"City of Edinburgh Council, TIE and the
consortium members , together with Transport Scotland have had a very
constructive engagement and have established a mutual understanding of the
key issues that have been impeding the progress of the Edinburgh Tram
project.

The parties to the contract are working
together to firm up the framework for out future working arrangements and
the successful delivery of the project. There will be no
further comment whilst this work is under way."

Unfortunately, this statement does not include
a date for the next stage of the process.

The details above are based on an article in Edinburgh Evening News: March
10, 2011, p.4

NOTE:

There
has been less news of trams in the press in recent weeks, as work has
slowed down on the project, and people await the outcome of the
mediation talks and the forthcoming Scottish Parliamentary elections, to
be held on May 5, 2011.

UPDATE 1:

2nd Round of Talks

A second round of mediation talks is expected
in early April 2011

Evening News: March 26, 2011, p.8

UPDATE 2:

Progress

Steve Cardownie, deputy council leader and
leader of the anti-tram SNP group on the council has expressed optimism
over the recent mediation, saying he believed that a deal could now be
reached which would see a tram line built between Edinburgh Airport and St
Andrew Square. He understands that:

"Things were carried out in a businesslike and
friendly fashion without the antagonism that's dogged other discussions".

However, it seems unlikely that any deal will
be reached prior to the Scottish elections on May 5.

Evening News: March 26, 2011, p.8

UPDATE 3:

Mediator

The name of the mediator at the talks at Mar
Hall Hotel outside Glasgow has now been revealed under Freedom of
Information laws. He is Michael Shane, who has previously been
involved in transport disputes in Hong Kong and California.

Evening News: March 26, 2011, p.8

UPDATE 4:

Costs

Following the recent mediation, tram bosses
have spent at least £30m on a new deal that will see:

- Bilfinger Berger and Siemens return to
work focusing on priority locations, Princes Street, Haymarket
Yards, the tram depot and the A8 underpass

- Edinburgh Council tale ownership
of overhead power lines, track and equipment from Siemens.

Chief Executive

TIE again denied rumours that Richard Jeffrey,
chief executive, could be set to leave the project, a move which would
save more than £140,000 a year in his salary. But see 144
below.

Evening News: May 13, 2011, p.9

143

Updates:
April 2011

Edinburgh Evening News reported:

Airport to Haymarket

"Sources close to the project have told the
Evening News that tram bosses are looking at leasing up to 20 trams,
leaving only enough to run a service between the airport and Haymarket.

Today, Gordon Mackenzie, the city's transport
convener said that taking the trams as far as St Andrew Square had
absolutely not been ruled out, but admitted that ending the route at
Haymarket was being given active consideration."

This news has resulted in fresh calls for the
whole project to be scrapped.

The details above are based on an article in Edinburgh Evening News: April
29, 2011, pp.1,2
Evening News Headline: "LAST STOP HAYMARKET"

UPDATE 1:

Toytown

The reaction of the Evening News to possibly
ending the line at Haymarket is summed up in the headline on its Editorial
page:

"A Toytown train for tourists? No
thanks."

Evening News: April 30, 2011, p.12

UPDATE 2:

Not Enough Money Left?

The Evening News now understands that, with
over 75% of the tram budget already spent, there may now not even be
enough money to build a tram line from the airport to Haymarket.

Evening News: May 12, 2011, p.4

144

Updates:
May 2011

Edinburgh Evening News reported:

TIE Chief Executive Resigns

Staff are due to be told today that Richard
Jeffrey, TIE chief executive is to leave the company next month, near the
time of the key meeting at which councillors are expected to decide
whether to abandon the tram project or keep going if additional funding
can be secured.

This news has resulted in fresh calls for the
whole project to be scrapped. There is no intention to bring in
another chief executive at the moment.

Chairman Vic Emery thanked Richard Jeffrey for
his determination, integrity and resilience; but the news of Richard
Jeffrey's departure comes following rumours of disagreement between the
two men due to their different approaches to the mediation process,
Richard Jeffrey having taken the stronger line.

The details above are based on an article in Edinburgh Evening News: May
19, 2011, pp.1,2

UPDATE 1:

Edinburgh Evening News reported:

TIE Chief Executive's Resignation

Gordon Mackenzie, city transport convener,
commented on the resignation announcement made yesterday by Richard
Jeffrey, after two years in office as TIE chief executive.

Arbitrations

Richard Jeffrey had fought a series of costly
and time-consuming battles with contractor, Bilfinger Berger, but had lost
almost every one of the adjudications.

He had had a misplaced belief in the strength
of the agreement with the contractors. The agreement was clearly
"fundamentally flawed and not fit for purpose".

Who is Left in Charge

The Evening News listed four people who were
now left in charge at TIE:

It was announced yesterday that Mandy
Haeburn-Little, TIE director of communications and customer services, is
to step down.

She will remain in her post until the end of
July "in order to provide continued support in the run up to the
recommencement of work in Princes Street, and to help oversee the
project's ongoing review of the governance."

The announcement of Mandy Haeburn-Little's
departure comes just four days after four non-executive directors left the
project, and gives further support to claims that the entire tram project
is steadily being moved under the direct control of the council.

Edinburgh Evening News: May 20, 2011, p.2.

145

Updates:
June 2011

The Scotsman reported:

Cost of Cancellation

Tram bosses have been urged to provide more
details of the cost of cancelling the project.

There are concerns that these costs could be
high as a result of a clause in the Capital's Tram Act requiring the city
to be returned to the way it was prior to construction, if the project is
cancelled.

Steve Cardownie, deputy council leader said:

"People are using the Tram Act as some form of
justification to say it would cost more to cancel than to take it to St
Andrew Square.

We need clarity on that. The time for
conjecture has gone."

During a full council meeting yesterday, Jenny
Dawe, city leader said the council would need to seek an amendment to the
Act."

Steve Cardownie, deputy council leader said:

"My understanding is that the city has to be
restored to the state it was before, but I don't think anybody would
be wanting to see that implemented to the letter of the law.

I don't think those costs should be part of
the cancellation. If it's not necessary to take something away, then
we shouldn't be carrying out work to do that."

The Scotsman: June 1, 2011, p.9

146

Updates:
June 2011

The Scotsman reported:

Four Directors Quit

Four TIE directors are expected to leave the
company shortly after the departure, next week, of TIE chief executive,
Richard Jeffrey. They are:

- Brian Cox,
a former executive of Stagecoach who became TIE interim chairman following
the departure of David Mackay in 2010.

- Kenneth Hogg,
who has worked in the fields of transport, finance, education and public
health at th Scottish Government.

It is expected that TIE's involvement in the
project will reduce, with the number of TIE staff perhaps reducing from 65
to fewer than 20, with more responsibility being taken for the project
directly by Edinburgh council. See also
148 below

The Scotsman: June 1, 2011, p.9

147

Updates:
June 2011

Edinburgh Evening News reported:

Council Meeting

June 30, 2011

The future of the tram project is to be
discussed at an Edinburgh council meeting on June 30, 2011.

- The total tram budget at present
stands at £545m, but there are fears that it will cost £700m just to build
the line from Edinburgh Airport to St Andrew Square.

- There has been speculation that the
cost of cancelling the entire project may be higher than the cost of
completing the line to St Andrew Square, but no official figures have been
announced.

- Sources close to the project say that
the project may be 'mothballed' in the hope that it can be revived when
the city's economy and its property market improves.

It may be some time before the full results of
the council meeting to be held on June 30, are know. A TIE spokesman
said:

"We've already said publicly that governance
is one of the issues being addressed as part of the paper being presented
on 30 June.

Any matters relating to the board will be
discussed a the next tram project board meeting and we will not be
commenting further until after this point."

I've continued to read press reports of progress
towards the launch of Edinburgh's new trams. I've cut out and kept
these press reports in the hope of summarising them for the EdinPhoto web
site one day - if I ever catch up with my backlog of other work for
the site!

Progress towards the launch of the trams seems
to have gone better over the past year. In September 2013 a planned
launch date of 'May 2014' was announced.

Peter Stubbs, Edinburgh: May 5, 2014

Testing the Trams

There have already been extensive trials of
the trams, one in March 2014 involving up to 1,000 volunteers to test how
the trams might cope with crowds at Murrayfield Stadium.

Over the past couple of months, empty trams
have become a common site in the Edinburgh streets as driver training has
got underway. I believe that the trams have been operating according
to timetables and stopping at all the stations but not opening their
doors!

Trams made headline news in the Evening News
on 2 May 2014 when the paper announced that trams are to take their first
fare paying passengers on May 31, 2014.

The first service will depart from the Gyle
for York Place at 5am on May 31. There will be no fanfare or
ribbon-cutting as it was felt that would be inappropriate following the
tram's overblown budget and missed deadlines in earlier years.

During May, Roadshows will be held at stations
on the line, showing the public how to use the trams, buy and validate
their tickets.

The Tram Service

Eight trams, each carrying 250 passengers,
will operate the service with a seven-and-a-half minute frequency at peak
times, Monday to Friday. The fare for most journeys will be £1.50 or
70p for children, with an on-the-spot fine of £10 for anybody caught fare
dodging.

The Council predicts a profit of £3.7m over
the first 15 years

Edinburgh Evening News: May 2, 2011, pp.1,4,5
+ May 3, 2014, p.9

Comments

Profits

If profit continues at the rate of £3.7m every
15 years, the £776mn expenditure should be recouped by the year 5551
- or a few thousand years later allowing for inflation!

The Date

I was amused to read a comment from
Eric Gold, a regular contributor to the EdinPhoto web site. Eric
grew up in Dumbiedykes, Edinburgh, He now lives in East End, London,
but retains his interest in Edinburgh.